BBC

British Bouldering Championships 2004/2005

Round 2 - West View Leisure Centre, Preston - 5 February 2005
Report by Callum Harris

Series Info | R1 Results | Round 2 Gallery | Round 4 Gallery | R2 Results | R3 Results | R4 Results | Round 4 Report | Round 5 Results

After a very early start, which was most annoying since we didn't get much sleep because Kempy wouldn't shut up, we packed our stuff, had breakfast and then headed off towards West View Leisure Centre. A short while later, and having gone slightly off route at one point, we arrived at our destination. The first thing we noticed was that there was a big yellow pipe which, had this been a SIBL, would definitely have been one of the problems. Needless to say, it wasn't so we were lucky! We strutted into the venue, sporting our sexy new team shirts and were incredibly surprised to find that this wall was considerably warmer than most other walls we had ever been to, much to our appreciation. During registration we were given the special BBC vest tops. After much arguing, I ended up with a really tight gay one…grrr!!! Why does nobody ever believe that I'm bigger than I look? Anyway, we found a base camp and put down our stuff, then proceeded to check out the problems. Climbs one to six looked relatively simple, as did number eight. The rest looked a bit tricky though. Climbing began at about half nine and I decided to go around with Tony and Richard Field. We got off to a great start, flashing all the climbs on the grey featured section relatively easily. We then tried problem eight. Tony fell from the top move thanks to a deceivingly far away top. This helped me because I knew what to expect and I flashed it. Next we tried problem six. Tony was first on this one as well and he discovered a secret, yet vital knee-bar, allowing him to become the first junior to finish the climb. I then followed him, topping it on my second attempt. Since we were now a bit hot, we decided to go and have a short rest. About fifteen minutes later we decided to go and attempt problem nine, the exceptionally hard one. Neither of us managed to even reach the bonus, but then again neither did any other juniors! Next on the agenda was problem ten. It looked quite difficult but we had heard that people had been flashing it, so decided it wasn't too difficult. This proved to be the case when we both flashed it as well. The only climb we hadn't tried was number seven, which was another of the very hard ones. We both only managed to get the bonus after all three attempts, so we decided to go back for our last attempts on problem nine. We arrived to find people trying an interesting toe hook technique on the arête. This seemed to be working quite well and three people had now finished the climb. However, it was much harder than it seemed and still none of the juniors could reach the bonus hold. That didn't matter though because it meant that nobody gained an advantage in terms of bonuses. Meanwhile, Joel had managed to flash six problems, as well as doing one second and one third. Matt had flashed six and done one second attempt and Nathan had flashed four, done one second attempt and one third. Tomo had done exceptionally well in the youth category, flashing six problems, doing one second attempt and one third. He had qualified for the final along with me and Tony, completing the Margate Massive finalist line up. A short while later the results were announced and the finalists went into isolation. I took the opportunity to talk to Beth because I hadn't really said much to her yet. A large group of us played a very weird game that Beth taught us, which involved punching yourself on the nose…strange!!! After about an hour and a half the girls began to be called out to climb. Once they had all gone, things began to get very immature. Ben West and a couple of other youths lost lots of my 2ps in the pockets on the climbing wall and Pete Whittaker smashed part of the ceiling down in the sports hall! After three hours in isolation, it was finally time for the boys to start climbing. First out was Paul Latham and shortly after, Tyler. Then it was Bailey Alcock and then it was finally my turn. I walked out, complete with pink slippers and sat facing away from the first climb. I was feeling quite nervous now and really did not want to make any stupid mistakes. After about a minute it was time for me to climb. The first problem was very similar to qualifier ten but a few things were moved around. It was a relatively simple route which I finished easily, hurting my chest in the process. It was a very good quality route though. Problem two was equally good, and I flashed this one too, though it was much harder than the first one. I was feeling really confident now and was looking forward to the remaining climbs, expecting them to be just as well set. However, problem three was horrible. It started really powerfully on the left-most green featured section of the competition boulder and then continued up on rubbish slopey holds. I failed the start moves on this climb a couple of times and then finally got off the ground and came quite close to the top. Rather foolishly I didn't get the bonus because I held it with the wrong hand! Problem four was on the other green feature and was equally horrible. I only just managed to get the bonus hold. The very last problem looked incredibly difficult. It began with a footless traverse under a roof then went round an arête and swung onto the overhang above the roof. I found it particularly difficult and failed to get the bonus on this climb too. I decided to stop because I was totally wasted and I went to see Matt, Beth, Joel and Nathan, who all deserve a huge thank you for their support and encouragement. We sat down to watch Tony on his last climb. He also found it hard and got about as far as I managed to get. When he finished he told us that he had also flashed the first two problems, as well as the third one. While I waited for Tom to come out of isolation, I went round with Beth to have a look at the girl's final problems. They looked much easier than the boy's problems; I wish I was a girl! Finally it was Tom's turn to climb. He flashed the first climb without much trouble and then we all ran round the boulder and sat on a bench to shout and scream at him on his second climb. This he also completed, with some style I might add! Tom's third climb was on the steep section on the front of the boulder. Matt, Joel and Kempy went to watch him from the front of the climb, but I stayed on the bench because I had a perfectly good view from there and couldn't be bothered to move. Once again Tom flashed the problem and then, on completion of the fourth climb, the Margate Massive erupted. Tom was climbing so well. The fifth climb was very similar to our fifth climb but it had a foothold removed. Tom was about two inches from the top and he fell off!!! Everyone was shocked. In the end he didn't finish the climb but he got the bonus. I think I speak for everybody when I say how impressive Tom was today; a massive congratulations to him. A little while later the prize winners were announced. First were the girls. Beth was fourth, Ashleigh Naysmith was third, Nat Berry was second and Hazel Findlay won. Then in the boys I was fourth, Tony was third, Richard Winters was second and Tyler won. In the female youth category Emily Ward was third, Lily was second and Gemma Powell was first. And finally, in the male youths Jeff was third, THE Tomo Gore was second and Ben West was first. Today was undoubtedly one of Dane Court's best ever national competitions and it was also a very enjoyable and exciting day. A huge well done to everybody in the competition